The Logik LE423ED11 is one of six no-frills 3D TVs that are exclusive to Dixons, Currys and PC World, but can it compete with the big brands?

At first glance, the 42-inch Logik LE423E11 LED set might seem a safe bet for those seeking a family-friendly flatscreen. It's a 1080p panel with USB media playback and ships with no fewer than ten pairs of passive polarizing 3D glasses.

Priced at £450, it's sandwiched between the smaller 32-inch 3D-ready LE323ED11 and larger 47-inch LE473ED11. Basic CCFL backlit versions of all three models are also available. The LE423ED11's nearest 3D rivals are the Samsung PS43D490 plasma and the Toshiba 40TL868 LED LCD but can Logik's 42-incher make it into our list of the best TVs around?

Logik LE423ED11: features

This cut-price telly may be 3D compatible but it's not net-connected. Indeed, even though it employs a Full HD panel, the tuner is bog standard Freeview; you'll need to connect an HD source to work those extra pixels.

On the plus side, it does offer decent USB media playback, unspooling AVI, MKV, MOV and MP3 files without fuss. The set can also timeshift to an external hard drive; interestingly, these recordings are not DRM protected, so you can watch them on generic media players.

Less impressive is the remote control, which is horribly pedantic. We began to think we'd be better off waving a wet fish at the set, until we twigged it liked to be aimed directly at the sensor in the bottom left of the screen (no, it wasn't a battery issue, we tried three different sets).

Logik LE423ED11: Design

The LE423ED11 will never win a beauty pagent. While it's acceptably thin at just 260mm, the glossy black bezel is way too large to be fashionable and the shiny logos on the frame are unquestionably naff.

Logik LE423ED11: Specs

Connectivity is solid. The set features three HDMIs, a PC VGA input, component, Scart, and phono AV. Bizarrely the USB port has been positioned facing down on the rear panel, which makes access a bit of a fiddle. Equally bonkers is the aerial input, which is side-mounted. Don't bother looked for an Ethernet LAN, this set is landlocked.

Logik LE423ED11: Performance

Frankly we wouldn't expect first division visuals from a no-name set, so we weren't overly disappointed by its 2D performance. While the factory defaults are fairly horrendous, a little massaging works wonders. Take Sharpness down to around 8 on the sliding scale and edge colour downwards and the picture quickly becomes acceptable.

While the LED edge-lighting is uneven and black levels average, there's little noise. This makes the like of Tron: Legacy and The Dark Knight look smooth even if they're not bursting with shadow detail. Although the default aspect ratio has generous overscan, this can be defeated by a Dot to Dot mode in the menu.

Unfortunately, this Logik's Passive 3D performance blows. Depth placement is incoherent and pictures look blurry with or without the glasses.

Logik LE423ED11: Verdict

The LE423ED11 may be one of the cheapest 42inch 3D TVs on the high-street, but it's a bargain to be approached with caution. Unremarkable picture quality, ghastly 3D and no net connectivity conspire to make it a bad long term investment.